Portland Maine Mail Boat Ride And Tour

The last time I took a trip on a mail boat was years ago in Grenada.  I read an article about traveling this way and took the boat from Grenada to the islands of the Grenadines and up to St. Vincent.  The boats were old sailboats with duct tape holding the mast together and the rides weren't exactly the safest in the world.  When I heard that there was a mail boat in Portland, Maine I had to take a tour.

Instantly, it wasn't exactly like the trip I had before.  The boat was more of a ship and since it was a sunny day, it was packed with people.  Most of the people on board were tourists with a scattering of workers getting on from an island to go back home.

I love being on a boat.  At the beginning, I was excited to board and feel it move across the bay.  By the looks of it, it seemed many people were prepared for taking a three hour tour with snacks and drinks.  The captain and our tour guide was a woman which I found interesting.  What a fun job to drive a boat to different islands in Maine and being far enough away from tourists that you didn't have to talk to them.

It was the warmest and most beautiful day in Maine by far.  It felt like a hot summer day right in September.  It was a delight.  Throughout the stops, the boat delivered a trailer, mail packages, picked people up and dropped people off for three hours.

After the tour, I took a walk around downtown Portland.  This little city is a favorite by far.  It's so quaint with old brick roads, cute shops and interesting people scattered about.  If you've never been to Maine, I would recommend a visit.  I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with the area.  I know I have.

Captain Andy And His Yard Ship

Sometimes I make it a point to get lost.

Even when I am headed to a specific destination, I will turn another direction if the mood strikes or if the street looks interesting.  I think it's the surprise of the unknown that draws me to veer off course.  There are so many places to turn on the coast of Maine.  You can see something new everyday if you make a turn to the unknown.

Yesterday, I did just that.  I was bored of driving on the main road so I decided to change direction.  I didn't know where it would take me but I just wanted to see something different.  I drove by some absolutely beautiful homes and after a while, I came across a home with a shipwreck sitting right on the front porch.

At that moment, I knew I had to stop.  Not knowing what I was going to encounter, I saw a man standing there staring at the ship in the yard.  Of course he turned to me as anyone would with a stranger pulling up in their driveway.  I smiled and said hello and said some brilliant words that went something like, "that's a big ship in your yard." Well, duh anyone could see that but captain Andy was gracious enough to play along and say, "yes it is."  A Maine resident all his life, Andy and I then chatted about ships for a while and he was kind enough to allow me to take his photograph with his pride and joy.  He stood there and couldn't take his eyes off of her.  She was part of him.

I am glad I made the turn to the unexpected to meet Andy and his yard ship.

Be A Tourist In Your City

Yes, you've heard it before. Of course you know your city, you live there! How dare "they" tell you to tour it some more...

It's easy to get stuck in a rut and not do things that are so close to home. Going to the same restaurants, same places, parks, etc. Yesterday, I spent the day doing something that many tourists do on their trip to Long Beach. I took the Aqualink to the Queen Mary and then to Shoreline Village. I love being on a boat so for me, $5 was fair to spend to have someone take you for a ride across the port without having to clean the boat at the end. If you want to make it really special, they also sell snacks and drinks for the quick 20 minute tour.

As for me, I started snapping away before we even left the harbor. I was so excited to be on a boat! The boat left at noon with me and one other passenger on board (shown above). I stood outside the entire time snapping away at everything...the water, the oil islands, boats, buoys, houses, and the shoreline. It was a bit hazy outside but it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

Once I arrived at my destination, I walked around Shoreline village for over an hour watching people. You can't help but put a smile on your face when you sit in the sun, watching the water and observing people enjoying the day. Even though I have been to this place many times before, I saw it in a different light yesterday. We are lucky to have such nice weather right now so it was a shame not to get outside.

I will be touring different places in the area and sharing it with you. Here are some pictures I took of my afternoon of being a tourist in my hometown. I hope you find something new in your town that you haven't seen before.







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